Hacking Confused about slot-2 cards

[PS3sixty]

I want to play GBA roms on my DS and I heard you need a slot-2 card (currently I have Cyclo DS Evolution for DS roms).

How do slot-2 cards work? Do they rely on the slot-1 card, or can I just get any slot-2 card and not worry about which ones will work with the Cyclo?

What is the best slot-2 card availible?

 

[Narin]

I want to play GBA roms on my DS and I heard you need a slot-2 card (currently I have Cyclo DS Evolution for DS roms).

How do slot-2 cards work? Do they rely on the slot-1 card, or can I just get any slot-2 card and not worry about which ones will work with the Cyclo?

What is the best slot-2 card availible?

Depends on the SLot-2 card, some use a MicroSD card like most Slot 1 cards while others have built in memory to store the games like the 3in1. Currently theres no way to emulate GBA games on the Nintendo DS due to Nintendo DS game not being able to access the GBA hardware and vice versus. So you can only do one or the other. So thats where the slot 2 card comes in, you transfer the games onto it and you can start that game up using the GBA hardware.

I personally suggest a 3in1, it comes with GBA support, the RAM expansion pack and rumble support all in one. Also the ClycloDS supports the RAM and Rumble feature right out of the box if you have the latest firmware. Though you will need a third part home brew app to transfer the games over.

 

[ojsinnerz.]

I want to play GBA roms on my DS and I heard you need a slot-2 card (currently I have Cyclo DS Evolution for DS roms).

How do slot-2 cards work? Do they rely on the slot-1 card, or can I just get any slot-2 card and not worry about which ones will work with the Cyclo?

What is the best slot-2 card availible?

Slot-2 expansions are the ones you're looking for. The real Slot-2 cards are overpriced, and pretty bad.

Also, one of the best would be the EZflash 3-in-1. It relies on the Cyclo, or any other Slot-1 card you have, to make a save file in the Cyclo's micro sd.

 

[PS3sixty]

So if I have an EZ Flash 3-in-1, I would need to store the GBA games on the Cyclo DS, boot up Cyclo DS, select the slot-2 option, then transfer the game I want to play to the EZ Flash. Is that right?

What is the homebrew program that transfers the game?

To play another game I'd have to move it back to the Cyclo DS first? How long do the transfers take?

I'm guessing this is the one I want? http://www.realhotstuff.com/expansion-pack-p-194.html

 

[Narin]

So if I have an EZ Flash 3-in-1, I would need to store the GBA games on the Cyclo DS, boot up Cyclo DS, select the slot-2 option, then transfer the game I want to play to the EZ Flash. Is that right?

What is the homebrew program that transfers the game?

To play another game I'd have to move it back to the Cyclo DS first? How long do the transfers take?

I'm guessing this is the one I want? http://www.realhotstuff.com/expansion-pack-p-194.html

To NOR memory, which stores the game until you remove them, takes roughly a minute or two to transfer the games over. To PSRAM, its a lot faster but the game gets deleted when you turn off the DS. To transfer the games, use GBA Exploder by rudolph, it handles the patching and transferring of the game to the 3in1.

Also yes, you store the games on the CycloDS or more accurately, the MicroSD card and use the CycloDS to transfer them over. Also you can store as many games as you want on the MicroSD card and transfer only the games you want when you want.

 

[PS3sixty]

Do you run the GBA Exploder while using Cyclo or EZ Flash 3-in-1?

I also heard that the EZ Flash 3-in-1 uses a non-rechargeable battery. How long would it last until I have to replace it?

 

[Narin]

Do you run the GBA Exploder while using Cyclo or EZ Flash 3-in-1?
The CycloDS


QUOTE(PS3sixty @ May 27 2008, 09:50 PM) I also heard that the EZ Flash 3-in-1 uses a non-rechargeable battery. How long would it last until I have to replace it?

1-3 Years.

 

[PS3sixty]

Are there any alternatives that don't use batteries, like the slot-1 cards?

 

[Toni Plutonij]

Every slot-2 cart will use battery..There is no GBA cart without battery, and slot 2 carts "emulate" GBA carts..

 

[PS3sixty]

What is the battery used for, game saves or for storing the GBA rom? What happens when it dies?

 

[raulpica]

What is the battery used for, game saves or for storing the GBA rom? What happens when it dies?

For storing the save until it gets copied to microSD on the next reset/reload/something, depending from the slot-2 card.

After it dies, GBA games won't just save anymore.

 

[PS3sixty]

So after the battery is dead can you just save the gamesave to the microsd instead of the slot-2 card's battery?

 

[DanTheManMS]

Usually after the battery is dead you're screwed and can't save at all.

However, not every device has a battery. Take the slot-2 Supercards for instance. Only the Supercard miniSD has a battery, and even then it's pretty useless. With the Supercards, you save by pressing a button combination after saving in-game, sending the updated SRAM contents to the *.sav file in this fashion. Alternatively, you can power off, quickly power back on before the SRAM's contents are lost, and manually save to the *.sav file that way. Most devices however don't work this way, relying on the SRAM to be battery-backed correctly.

 

[PS3sixty]

Bummer, it doesn't seem to be worth getting if I have to buy a new one every year.

Is there a guide for soldering in a new battery in the EZ Flash 3-in-1?

 

[Bri]

You might also consider the eWin 2in1.

The EZ 3in1 has to use the slower NOR flash memory for the few large GBA games that can't fit into its faster volatile memory, whereas the eWin 2in1 doesn't have (or need) NOR memory because it has twice the faster volatile memory. Since the Opera browser (and some homebrew) uses the volatile memory, the eWin provides the browser/homebrew with twice the memory that the EZ 3in1 does. The eWin 2in1 doesn't have a crappy rumble included, but it's a bit less expensive (you can get a better rumble in a separate cart for around $4 if you're really keen on rumble).

Just curious, but why don't they make any slot2's that use internal flash memory to store the save file? Is it really that cost prohibitive compared to SRAM and a battery, or is it a compatibility issue?

-Bri

 

[PS3sixty]

Well I want rumble included so I don't have to keep carrying a separate card and switching them. I'll probably just get the 3-in-1 and learn how to solder.

Seems like the battery is the only drawback to these slot-2 cards. Why can't they at least use rechargeable batteries?